The Purāṇas contain mixed references of Buddha. Vāyu Purāṇa sings the glory of the very Bodhi tree under which Buddha is claimed to have attained enlightenment:
namastē’śvattharūpāya brahmaviṣṇuśivātmanē |
bōdhidrumāya kartṟ^īṇāṁ pitṟ^īṇāṁ tāraṇāya ca |
mahābōdhitaruṁ natvā dharmavān svargalōkabhāk ||
Padma Purāṇa states:
tasmādimau viṣṇumahēśvarāvubhau |
babhūvaturbōdhivaṭau munīṣvarāḥ ||
However, it is the Bauddhas that several Purāṇas talk about, when they refer to ‘pāṣaṇḍins’. This term is used not simply for those who do not follow śiṣṭācāra but especially for those who adhere to vows that transgress the śruti and smr̥ti:
vēdavidviṣaḥ śrutismr̥tibāhyavratadhāriṇaḥ ||
Even though some Purāṇas express utmost disapproval of the Pāṣaṇḍins who include the Bauddhas, there is still an attempt to view Buddha in a favorable light in other Purāṇas. Several Kavachas call upon Buddha (here considered an aspect of Nārāyaṇa) to protect oneself from the pāṣaṇḍins!
buddhaḥ pāṣaṇḍasaṁghātāt (Garuḍa Purāṇa) |
buddhastu pāṣaṇḍa gaṇapramādāt (Viṣṇu Bhāgavata Upapurāṇa) |
Agni Purāṇa makes an attempt to associate Buddha, the Tathāgata with Buddha, a supposed incarnation of Nārāyaṇa, still holding him in a favorable light but at the same time rejecting his teachings. According to this Purāṇa, Mahāviṣṇu incarnated as Māyāmōha, the son of King śuddhōdana and deluded the reborn daityas who, under his influence, deserted Vaidika dharma and adopted Buddhism. The same Nārāyaṇa is also considered to have assumed the form of Arhata, misleading the remaining asuras into Arhata dharma. Both these dharmas are included in the list of pāṣaṇḍa śāstras enumerated in the sectarian Purāṇas such as the Kūrma Purāṇa: Kāpāla, Vāma, Bauddha, Arhata, Kāpila, P~āncarātra, ḍamara, Nākula, Pāśupata, Sōma, Lāṅgala and Sātvata.
Vr̥ddha Hārīta, in his dharma śāstra, treats a Buddhist monastery, a Shaivite shrine and crematorium on par with each other and prescribes a prāyaścitta if one enters any of them:
bauddha-śaiva-piśācānāmālayaṁ yō’nugacchati |
sacailamavagāhyāpaḥ sāvitrīṁ triśataṁ japēt ||
A similar sentiment is expressed by several other smr̥tis when referring to Vrātyas, śramaṇas, etc.
bauddhān pāśupatān jainān lōkāyatika-kāpilān |
vikarmasthān dvijān spr̥ṣṭvā savāsā jalamāviśēt ||
However, the confusion in the earlier Purāṇas paves way for the crystallization of anti-Buddhist sentiment clearly expressed in the Nārada Purāṇa:
bauddhālayaṁ viśēdyastu mahāpadyapi vai dvijaḥ |
na tasya niṣkr̥tirdr̥ṣṭā prāyaścittaśatairapi ||
bauddhāḥ pāṣaṇḍinaḥ prōktā yatō vēdavinindakāḥ |
tasmād dvijastānnēkṣēta yatō dharmabahiṣkr̥tāḥ ||
jñānatō’jñānatō vāpi dvijō bauddhālayaṁ viśēt |
jñātvā cēnniṣkr̥tirnāsti śāstrāṇāmiti niścayaḥ ||